Boston City Hall, City Hall Plaza

Kallmann, McKinnell and Knowles
1962-68

The Government Center plan, developed by I. M. Pei, includes federal, state, and city offices as well as private office and retail space. This redevelopment plan preserved older buildings as well as the Sears Crescent. The center of the new development is the large brick City Hall Plaza with the new City Hall as the focus. The over-large Plaza is the setting for performances, rituals, exhibitions, and political rallies, with the monumental concrete and brick City Hall presiding over this space.

The influence of late Le Corbusier (the convent at La Tourette) is evident in the monumentality and sculptural form of the building. The mayor's office and council chambers are located above the entrance. The smaller windows, recalling Le Corbusier's sun screens, are in smaller offices above.